Union County Marriage License Access
Marriage licenses in Union County are handled by the Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Orphans' Court office. The county describes the process as appointment based. Both applicants must appear, and the office requires photo identification, Social Security numbers, and proof of the end of any prior marriage when that applies. The office is on the first floor of the Union County Courthouse, 103 S. Second Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837. The public counter uses the same phone number as the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office, (570) 524-8751.
Union County follows Pennsylvania's county-license model. A couple may apply in any Pennsylvania county if the marriage will take place in Pennsylvania. The Union County license page states that both people must be at least 18, the license takes three days to obtain, and it remains valid for 60 days from the date issued. That timing is useful when scheduling an officiant or planning a ceremony outside Lewisburg, because a license issued too early may expire before the planned date.
The county marriage license page is shown in the screenshot captured from the official Union County marriage license instructions.
The image reflects the appointment rule and the local list of documents to bring before a Union County marriage license can be issued.
Apply for Union County Marriage Records
A new license request is different from a search for an older marriage record. For a license, the key tasks are scheduling, identity proof, prior-marriage proof if needed, and fee payment. For a copy request, the office will need enough information to locate the existing marriage record and determine whether a plain or certified copy is needed.
- Contact the Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Orphans' Court office to make the required appointment.
- Have both applicants appear in person with photo ID and Social Security number information.
- Bring a certified divorce decree or death certificate if either applicant was married before.
- Pay the license fee listed on the current Orphans' Court fee bill.
- Wait the county's three-day issue period, then use the license within the 60-day validity window.
Note: The clerk's office can explain filing steps and fees, but the county states that the office may not provide legal advice.
Union County Marriage Application Fields
The Union County marriage license process is built around identity, legal eligibility, and prior-marriage status. The county research did not locate a public online marriage application search portal, so these fields come from the local application requirements rather than a web database.
| Field or Item | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant 1 identity | Photo ID | Yes | Both applicants must appear. |
| Applicant 2 identity | Photo ID | Yes | Both applicants must appear. |
| Age confirmation | Eligibility | Yes | The county says both must be 18 or older. |
| Social Security number | Personal identifier | Yes | Required by the county license page. |
| Prior marriage proof | Document | Conditional | Certified divorce decree or death certificate if previously married. |
| Appointment | Scheduling | Yes | Marriage licenses are by appointment only. |
Union County Marriage and Divorce Fees
The Union County Orphans' Court fee bill lists the marriage license total. Divorce charges are listed on the Union County Prothonotary fee bill, because divorce is a civil and family matter filed through the Prothonotary function. Copy fees should be checked against the current fee bill when requesting a certified decree or docket entry.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $48.00 total |
| Divorce complaint, one count | $223.75 total |
| Divorce complaint, two counts | $265.00 total |
| Divorce complaint, three counts | $306.25 total |
| Divorce complaint, four counts | $347.50 total |
| Certification or certifying copy | $9.00 shown |
| Search | $13.00 |
Search Union County Marriage Records
No official Union County public marriage-license search database was located in the research. The access path is the courthouse office that handles marriage licenses and Orphans' Court records. A request should include both spouse names as they were known at the time of the license, the approximate date, and whether the copy must be certified.
The county's appointment rule also affects record searches after the license has been issued. If a person only needs a copy of an existing Union County marriage record, the request is not the same as a new application, but it still goes to the local office that handled the license. The strongest search details are the two names, the year or date range, and whether the marriage took place under a license issued by Union County or another Pennsylvania county.
The Pennsylvania marriage license statutes in Title 23, Chapter 13 support the county's waiting-period and duration rules.
The statute source is useful when matching Union County marriage records procedures to statewide license timing rules.
Find Union County Divorce Records
Divorce records in Union County are court records. They are filed through the Prothonotary as civil and family matters in the Court of Common Pleas. The Pennsylvania UJS Case Search may show some related case information, but the research did not locate an official public Union County civil or family document portal for complete divorce files. For a decree, docket, or certified copy, the Prothonotary is the direct local access channel.
Divorce records can include the complaint, counts listed on the filing, orders, decree entries, custody-related material if part of the case, and later appeal or enforcement activity. Sensitive family details may not be available through a public web search. If a divorce record is needed for remarriage, benefits, name use, or another legal purpose, ask for a certified copy rather than relying on a docket view.
The Prothonotary fee bill is also useful for understanding why a divorce filing may cost more than one base amount. Union County lists divorce complaint totals by the number of counts, and the research notes that custody can be a separate count when included. That does not mean every divorce file is public in full. It means the courthouse record keeper can identify the filed case, explain current copy and certification costs, and tell a requester which parts of the file can be released under court access rules.
Certified Union County Copies
Certified copies come from the office that keeps the record. For marriage records, that is the Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Orphans' Court office. For divorce decrees, it is the Prothonotary function. A request by mail should include enough case or party detail for the office to identify the file, payment for the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope when return copies are needed.
Birth and death certificates are different. Pennsylvania vital records handles those certificates, but the research notes that Pennsylvania marriage licenses are county Orphans' Court or clerk records, and divorce decrees are court records. That distinction keeps requests from being sent to the wrong agency.
For older marriage records, give the office the names used at the time of application and the closest date range known. For divorce records, give the case caption, docket number if known, and the document needed. A docket search may be enough to confirm that a case existed, but certified copies are the safer request when the record must be filed with another agency, used for remarriage proof, or submitted in a legal setting.
Public access can also differ by record type. A marriage license is a licensing record. A divorce file is a civil and family court record. A final decree may be available as a certified court copy, while sensitive family exhibits, minor details, or sealed filings may not be released through an ordinary public request. The practical approach is to ask for the specific document needed rather than every paper in the file.